Liverpool board of education adopts $131 million budget

Liverpool, NY -- The Liverpool school board adopted a $131 million budget Monday night, which cuts about 130 positions, eliminates programs and raises the tax levy.

Board members voted 7-1 to approve the budget, which also included closing an elementary school to weather an $11 million budget gap and the district’s declining enrollment. The board voted in March to close Wetzel Road Elementary School.

“You can’t have 130 cuts in any district and have it have no effect on the district,” said board member Patricia Debona-Rosier. “This has been difficult, I’m very sorry for the people who have been affected by what we’ve had to do.”

The board’s adopted budget includes a 2.18 percent increase in the tax levy. For weeks, the board has discussed changes and made amendments to Superintendent Richard N. Johns’ proposed budget. The board decided to eliminate the universal pre-kindergarten program after the district learned that it may not receive $758,161 from county sales tax revenue in 2010-2011.

The board also decided to decrease the superintendent’s technology plan by $739,046 for next year. Johns proposed spending $1.98 million for technology infrastructure.

“We have worked and struggled to try and create a budget that will work with this district,” said board member Richard Pento. “I’m not happy with every decision that was made, but I don’t think one person up here is happy with every decision that has been made. But we have to move forward.”

The board will hold a budget hearing on May 6 and the public will vote on the budget on May 18.